Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Nearly 30 per cent of the forested land base in the Prince George Fire Centre, which covers BC's northeast, is likely to burn by the end of this year, according to the province. Forest Minister Ravi Parmar says the region has already seen nearly 7,000 square kilometres burned by wildfires since June. That's by far the most of any of BC's six fire centres, with the second highest being the Northwest Fire Centre, where just under 40 square kilometres have burned. "People in the area have endured not just the physical threat of fires, but the emotional toll of displacement, smoke and uncertainty" ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

On warm summer afternoons in southern British Columbia, thunderclouds bloom over high plateaus and towering mountain peaks. A flash of light. A sharp crack. And a blast of electricity is delivered to another remote hillside. A new wildfire has started. It won’t be detected for hours or days. But when it is finally discovered, a pivotal decision will have to be made. Should the fire be immediately put out? Or can it be allowed to clear away brush on the forest floor, potentially reducing the intensity of a future blaze while making room for wildlife? The question, which lies at the heart of BC’s wildfire crisis, isn’t new. But the answer has never been muddier ... CLICK HERE for the full story

MLA John Rustad -- Nechako Lake riding The 2018 BC wildfire season has already been declared the worst on record. Firefighters have done an amazing job and we are all thankful for their work. The most import thing to keep mind is how much did we learn from the 2017 wildfire season, and did we put that knowledge to good use this year? Unfortunately, we have been seeing a similar pattern to the provincial response as we saw last summer. In particular, the way communities have been managed, coordination between different levels of government, engagement with First Nations and in some cases and unwillingness to embrace new technology. An independent review of the 2017 wildfire season was conducted, yet the terms of reference ignored the calls by many experts who were telling the government to focus more on forest management, new technology and proper response.   As a result, we are now seeing an eroding of confidence in BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) management an...